This advisory is to address
the Florida Statutes and information concerning low-speed vehicles and
golf carts.

GOLF CARTS

Section 316.212, Florida Statutes, provides that the operation of a golf cart upon the public roads
or streets of this state is prohibited except for specific reasons as provided
in this section.

Section
320.105, Florida Statutes, provides that golf carts and utility vehicles, as
defined in s. 320.01,
when operated in accordance with s. 316.212
or s. 316.2126,
are exempt from registration or display of a license plate.

Section 316.2126, Florida Statutes, states:In addition to the powers granted by ss. 316.212
and 316.2125,
municipalities are hereby authorized to utilize golf carts and utility
vehicles, as defined in s. 320.01,
upon any state, county, or municipal roads located within the corporate limits
of such municipalities, subject to the following conditions:

(1)Golf carts and utility vehicles must
comply with the operational and safety requirements in ss.
316.212
and 316.2125,
and any other restrictive ordinances enacted by the local governmental entity
pursuant to s. 316.212(7),
and shall only be operated by municipal employees for municipal purposes, including,
but not limited to, police patrol, traffic enforcement, and inspection of public
facilities.

(2)In addition to the safety equipment
required in s. 316.212(5)
and any other restrictive safety equipment required by the local governmental
entity pursuant to s. 316.212(7),
such golf carts and utility vehicles must be equipped with sufficient lighting
and turn signal equipment.

(3)Golf carts and utility vehicles may only
be operated on state roads that have posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour or
less.

(4)A municipal employee operating a golf
cart or utility vehicle pursuant to this section must possess a valid driver's
license as required by s. 322.03.

Section 320.01(22), Florida Statutes, defines
"Golf cart" as a motor vehicle that is designed and manufactured for
operation on a golf course for sporting or recreational purposes and that is
not capable of exceeding speeds of 20 miles per hour.

Golf carts are not allowed to be titled or registered.

LOW-SPEED VEHICLES

Section 316.2122, Florida Statutes, provides that the operation of a
low-speed vehicle, as defined in s. 320.01(42),
on any road as defined in s. 334.03(15)
or (33), is authorized with the following restrictions:

(1)A low-speed vehicle may be operated only
on streets where the posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less. This does
not prohibit a low-speed vehicle from crossing a road or street at an
intersection where the road or street has a posted speed limit of more than 35
miles per hour.

(3)A
low-speed vehicle must be registered and insured in accordance with s. 320.02.

(4)Any person operating a low-speed vehicle
must have in his or her possession a valid driver's license.

(5)A county or municipality may prohibit
the operation of low-speed vehicles on any road under its jurisdiction if the
governing body of the county or municipality determines that such prohibition
is necessary in the interest of safety.

(6)The Department of Transportation may
prohibit the operation of low-speed vehicles on any road under its jurisdiction
if it determines that such prohibition is necessary in the interest of safety.

Section 320.01 (42), Florida
Statutes, defines "Low-speed vehicle" as any four-wheeled electric
vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 miles per hour but not greater than
25 miles per hour, including neighborhood electric vehicles. Low-speed vehicles must comply with the safety
standards in 49 C.F.R. s. 571.500 and s. 316.2122.Any retailer who sells low-speed vehicles
must have a dealer's license.

NOTE:The U. S. Department of
Transportation National Safety Administration (NHTSA) added a new ruling on July 1, 2005, which states that all low-speed vehicles must weigh
less than 2,500 pounds.

FRVIS
currently has only two options for the body type of an LSV (2P or 4P).However, we have received telephone calls from
several counties stating they are receiving MCO's showing "6
passengers" and also some with "9 passengers." Therefore, if you
receive one of these MCO's, use the body type of 4P
until programming has been completed to add 6P & 9P as an additional body
type.

DMV Procedure TL-63, Low-speed vehicles, has been
created to address requirements and information concerning low-speed
vehicles.The procedure is located at:

NHTSA
allows for a golf cart to be converted to a low-speed vehicle.Once the vehicle has been converted, the
customer must submit the following to a DMV Regional Office:

Proof of ownership for the golf cart (MCO or bill of sale)

A statement of builder
(form HSMV 84490)

The original bills of
sale for all parts (used to convert the golf cart)

An application for title
(form HSMV 82040)

The
compliance examiner will review the paperwork and inspect the vehicle.If the vehicle passes inspection and the documentation
is in order, an FLA number will be assigned to the
vehicle and the paper work will be processed.

If you
have any questions or need further assistance, please contact your Tax
Collector Help Desk.